OxiClean, Bleach, Peroxide

[sc37 0]

I have been reading about OxiClean and how it works for your gear, but would bleach do the same? Maybe a color-safe bleach so I can get rid of the nasty smells of my UnderArmor, etc? I know peroxide disinfects too, would adding some of that when I soak my gear be ok or would it start to bleach the colors out of my gear too? Or are there any other suggestions before I go and grab something? Most curious as OxiClean isn't the most cost-effective method since it's like $12 a tub as compared to other stuff, and seemed like color-safe bleach is almost the same thing, but if it works best I'm up for it.

I thought there was a thread on specifically UnderArmor cleaning that listed some cleaners...if anyone can find that, that'd be great since I know the search-Nazis are gonna be after me

[epstud74 24]

VagiKleen really works

[NTKT10 0]

Cheapest method, which others have posted: isopropyl alcohol (rubbing alcohol) mixed 1:1 with peroxide, spray on and let dry.

[A2rhino 63]

Found this on the UA site.

How do I take care of my Under Armour gear?

Wash your Under Armour gear in cold water on a gentle cycle with like colors. Do not use bleach or fabric softener. Tumble dry on low heat, and never use dryer sheets. We also recommend that

[Steve_v3 289]

Definitely don't use fabric softener. My wife washed my UA and accidentally & used fabric softener. My shirts didn't wick the sweat away nearly as well. I air dry my UA stuff and really keeps them in good condition.

[Law Goalie 147]

I just use 99% isopropyl alcohol after playing, air-dry, and occasional shots of NOK-Out.

[Neal 41]

I tried the 1:1 alcohol & peroxide mix yesterday and it had little impact on the stench of my equipment. I bought a Shock Doctor bag and it did a good job keeping the smell to a minimum, but then I had a run of 4 games a week for a month and the smell came back.

I've tried Funk Free as well, but I don't like the smell, artificial perfumes often give me a headache, but it did work.

[sdcopp 1]

for the smell of skates and pads the best thing I've seen so far is equal parts water, liquid fabric softener and Nature's Miracle from the pet store. Mix those in a spray bottle and go to town.

UA and other similar items that wick have pores that things like fabric softener can clog, thus just wash and hang dry

[dix0r 0]

OT sprayfresh worked much better than rubbing alcohol for me. it's pricier but doesn't need to be used all that frequently.

i applied it twice and my gear just does not stink anymore. i could stick my head in my bag and it would smell like nothing.

skates on the other hand, still smell a little bit, but are much much better. they went from horrible "OMG i'm gonna vomit" whilst sharpening them, to tolerable.

my girlfriend and mother have both confirmed that it is in fact much better!

[sc37 0]

Rubbing alcohol spray didn't do much and was about to try for some OxiClean, but I went ahead and tested cleaning an old wicking shirt with peroxide(from my reading, apparently color safe bleach and other stuff are peroxide based anyways). I put a bit into a bucket with some water and let it soak, then rinsed and tossed it in with the rest of my wash. Wore it yesterday without any smell, so I'd say it worked. and saved myself $12 on OxiClean. Didn't bleach the colors out or anything, so as long as you use low concentrations of it it'll still kill whatever is on your shirt with no issues.

[Allsmokenopancake 0]

Not specifically for UA gear, but for gear in general. If you have a front loading machine (not the top loaders with the spike up the middle, gear gets tangled too easy there), then take one of the laundry detergent plastic cup things, fill about 1/4 to 1/2 full with ammonia, and put all your gear in for a full cycle, on extra large (to get more water mixed in).

Cleans and de-stinks your gear. Make sure all your velcro is put together to cover as much as possible, and allow 3 full days to air dry.

Don't put your gloves in though

[Jarick 5]

There's been a lot of talk on this, so there's more info under search (+gloves +smell would be a good start). I'm not convinced that most of the chemical cleaners do much good without doing some bad (too many chemicals, offending smells, etc).

The alcohol:peroxide mix should be good if you air your gear out immediately after using. It won't kill odors but will halt bacteria growth.

The Nature's Miracle mixed with water is another good suggestion, safer than a lot of the chemical treatments. Will help with odors as well.

Hand washing pads and performance gear in a tub with some Borax would be a good way to remove the smell and clean them. Doesn't need to be done as frequently.

Having the gear cleaned professional by ozone treatment would be a great way to remove the smell and doesn't need to be done frequently either.

So either of the latter treatments combined with airing out the gear and either of the former treatments would be a good long-term and safe solution.

[Law Goalie 147]

My understanding was that ozone was only good for killing things; it didn't remove the smell.

[frankie56 0]

Its usually the "things" that smell.

[SickBoy 0]

OT sprayfresh worked much better than rubbing alcohol for me. it's pricier but doesn't need to be used all that frequently.

i applied it twice and my gear just does not stink anymore. i could stick my head in my bag and it would smell like nothing.

skates on the other hand, still smell a little bit, but are much much better. they went from horrible "OMG i'm gonna vomit" whilst sharpening them, to tolerable.

my girlfriend and mother have both confirmed that it is in fact much better!

I Sprayfresh OT too, and it really works well. Seems like it's even better at preventing stink than it is for getting rid of it. I've had really good luck so far with just giving my stuff a quick light spray after each use - the gear's discolored from sweat, but there's no smell at all.

[Law Goalie 147]

Its usually the "things" that smell.

Shrug. I heard bacterial waste-products caused the smell, so killing everything would prevent stench from growing into a new piece of gear, but couldn't deodorize an old, smelly one.

Again, I'm just relaying what I've been told.

[YouTuuk 0]

Its usually the "things" that smell.

Shrug. I heard bacterial waste-products caused the smell, so killing everything would prevent stench from growing into a new piece of gear, but couldn't deodorize an old, smelly one.

Again, I'm just relaying what I've been told.

I believe your right, because when bacteria are placed on a nutrient base, they feed and release metabolic wastes. When that nutrient runs low ( that is when we take off our gear ), their cell membranes spill open its contents. But with that said, "First you get the "squaters out", then you can clean up their mess...but they will be back..." - I usually use a 3 to 5% bleach/water solution a couple times a year, the thing is my gear usually don't smell that bad, but I am concered about MRSA ( bacterial skin infection ) and stuff like that.

[frankie56 0]

Ozone generators are used by industrial cleaners and auto dealers to remove odors, including tobacco smell. You need a higher concentration or longer exposure to remove the odor, but it does work. Ozone generators can also be used to replace chlorine in pools. The most important things is to keep the bug count as low as possible. MRSA is showing up everywhere and is very bad news.

[jrgretzky99 1]

I coach and play. The problem is when I'm coaching I put my skates in my coaching bag with my gloves. Here's the kicker, I don't wear any socks at all when I skate so my skates get nasty with foot jam. About once a month I remove the insoles, and soak the entire inside of the boot with lysol antibacterial, I then place them in front of a fan in the basement along side my now soaked MIA gloves too. It works really well. My gloves and skates don't stink at all anymore and I gotta be honest, my gloves were getting bad.

[epstud74 24]

I coach and play. The problem is when I'm coaching I put my skates in my coaching bag with my gloves. Here's the kicker, I don't wear any socks at all when I skate so my skates get nasty with foot jam. About once a month I remove the insoles, and soak the entire inside of the boot with lysol antibacterial, I then place them in front of a fan in the basement along side my now soaked MIA gloves too. It works really well. My gloves and skates don't stink at all anymore and I gotta be honest, my gloves were getting bad.

That is disgusting. I just put down my pretzels and beer

[nni 0]

5% white vinegar solution. kills bacteria, mold and smells. a gallon of vinegar is like $3 at the bulk food stores. best, cheapest way to do it.

[YouTuuk 0]

5% white vinegar solution. kills bacteria, mold and smells. a gallon of vinegar is like $3 at the bulk food stores. best, cheapest way to do it.

I never used 5% vinegar solution - I may try it this weekend, because I use

%5 bleach - but handling bleach is the pits....

question though about the vinegar....

Don't you then come to the game smelling like an tossed salad?

P.S. I just did some research on vinegar and the stuff you buy at the store is already 5%, so usually I make a 20 gallon mixture of bleach/water - I could not do this with the vingegar because I would have to buy too many 1 gallon containers....but maybe to spray it on and stuff, but I like giving my equipment a deep, deep cleaning down to the core, not just surface spraying...

[nni 0]

5% white vinegar solution. kills bacteria, mold and smells. a gallon of vinegar is like $3 at the bulk food stores. best, cheapest way to do it.

I never used 5% vinegar solution - I may try it this weekend, because I use

%5 bleach - but handling bleach is the pits....

question though about the vinegar....

Don't you then come to the game smelling like an tossed salad?

P.S. I just did some research on vinegar and the stuff you buy at the store is already 5%, so usually I make a 20 gallon mixture of bleach/water - I could not do this with the vingegar because I would have to buy too many 1 gallon containers....but maybe to spray it on and stuff, but I like giving my equipment a deep, deep cleaning down to the core, not just surface spraying...

the white vineagar is 100%, just use that for the 5%, dont get any other type of vinegar. when you spray it on, until it dries it smells like vinegar, but by time you put it on and skate, i dont smell a thing.

salad uses baslsamic or other wine vinegars.

give it a shot, you can buy a small bottle of white vinegar, and if you dont like it, all it cost you was a dollar or two.

[Chanimal 0]

The problem with vinegar is that it is organic. Think about how it's made, it's made from rotten stuff. You ferment rice to get alcohol, which oxidizes to vinegar. The funk you smell goes through the same cycle. Bacteria/germs (yeast) feed on the carb content of your sweat (sugar in grape juice), and the byproduct is some alcoholic content (wine), which if not stored in an airtight container, like a keg or barrel, oxidize into something acidic (vinegar). If you leave acidic stuff on non-corrosive-proof material, it can break that material down. Though the acid content in the vinegar may kill the germs and bacteria, not rinsing it off may cause damage to the material on which the vinegar is sprayed......

If you do a seach for Dettol, you will see ktang and I are in the same boat, using this disinfectant to wash our gear. It is traditionally used to clean wounds. It kills bacteria and germs, the stuff that causes smell in your gear. It leaves a mild disinfectant scent, better than Fabreeze or anything else, if you ask me. You only need a little capful for a whole washer load. I throw everything in the washing machine, throw a capful in, turn the machine on with the longest cycle, if you have pre-wash, or soak, it would probably be good to use that, and the highest spin cycle (for me, it worked out just fine, but if you are worried about your gear like your wife's cashmere sweater, you may want to turn that down a notch or two). My most delicate piece of gear is my CCM girdle, and it comes out fine every time. I wash everything once every few months. The little Dettol residue on the gear, to me, has a little bit of odour-prevention effect. When I can't smell the scent anymore, and start to smell the funk, I know it's time to wash them again, which, like I said, once every few months for someone who is on the ice 1-2 times a week. One thing to be careful, like most disinfectants, Dettol is NOT safe for consumption, so make sure you keep it away from the kids.

[nni 0]

ok, but ill still trust the research that says vinegar kills bacteria and mold.